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The GrenaaNeletter Sab day 19ith June 1993 Pa 10
PUfRCELL Fna PRa. 9
of vomen to "come before men". portant role in the "infonal" sector of
the economy. Neverbeless, she com-
"Gender she said, is identifying the plained, in the macro economic plans of
roles mn and vomen play in the the country, this contribution is not
society and particular skills, attitudes quantified.

Thirbprogranmme is necessary, she said, 'rS 91
because in Gmenada and elsewhere, air- a b g ara
within the structure of the economy, ,: planess ill b in touch
women's contributionhas not been accorded ""'Sriff i ith hat is happy ng at
the mcognition it deserves. the micro level.

For instance, she said, as small traders
between te islands, as venders, as craft-
makers, as market-sellers and as agri-
cultural workers, voman play an im-
PARKS Int Pare 8
Mr William Joseph, Pernmnent Secretary
in the Ministry of Agric culture & Fisheries,
who signed the Agreement on behalf of
the Government, said Government will
contribute some C$5,000 t the pro-
gramme which will be managed by the
Fisheries Department.

Mr Joseph said a suitable boat is to be
purchased for the programme, the services
of a consultant from the Trinidad &
Tobago Institute of Marine affairs are to
be obtained, and a survey is to be made
of the flora and fauna at the three
locations.

The programre has an element of public
education and it is expected to be com-
pleted within a year.

In additionto research shesam4dLeris
an element of public education the pro-
gramma and totalfunding frtheproject
stands at EC$175,000.

Contriabtors to this figureartheBritish
Development Division, th Organisation
of American States, the Goernment of
Grenada and the International Detlop-
ment Research Centre based in C anada

The survey, conducted by 10 field
workers, will begin in July and the Minister
hopes the projectvillbe completed byyear's
end. Similar surveys are nov being
conducted, she said, not only in the
CARICOM countries, but throughout the
British Comronvealth.

"There is to be a Commonwealth Ministers
of Women's Affairs meeting in Cyprus in
July", Mrs Purcell said, "and these matters
affecting women vill be discussed there at a
Commonwealth level.*
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~Wcc

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The Grenada Newsletter Saturday 19th June 1993 PaI

PII fl AXID TpOiiATes

Te mu cu active, number of H1W positive persons on
the island is now 69

RRENADA'S MINISTRY OF
Health reports that, as of March
31st last, there has been an in-
o crease of six new cases of HIV
infection and 9 cases of AIDS.

"Of the 9 AIDS cases", a release says,
"three are new cases vbile the other 6
are persons who were HIV positive and
ave developed AIDS*

According to the Ministry, the cumulative
number of HIV positive persons on the
island is nov 69. Of this number, 43 have
developed AIDS with 35 deaths.

AIDS vas first diagnosed in the United
States of America in 1981 and the first case
vas identified in Grenada about three years
later. A sourse close to tfe General Hospital
said the first four cases were traced to a
single source in Trinidad.

At 31st September 1989. The Ministry of

Health reported the number of AIDS cases
had grovnto 17 of whih 10 vere male and
7 female. Of these 17, 12 had died.
Additionally, there vere 12 other persons
known to be carrying the virus but had not
yet developed the disease.

A 1990 update on the situation sail, at
the end ofthe first quarter of that year,
there were 34 HIV positive persons, 20
had developed AIDS and 15 had died.

Up to the and of July 1992, 58 HIV
positive cases had been recorded. The
Ministry reported that of these, 42 were
male, 15 female and the sex of one vas
unknown- Of those testing positive,30
AIDS cases ere confirmed, of which 23
had died.

A release from the Ministry of Health said
most of the HIV cases were in the 25 to 34
age group.
--sa a ?s

Peace Cors Volunteers To Be

Seven United States Peace Corps Volunteers
vill be recognized by their colleagues and
supervisors for having completed success-
fully a two year term of service.

A release fromMis GwenPelletier, Resident
Associate Peace Corps Director, says the
recognition ceremony will take place on June
4th and the ndnarbmp riate of thplq

Volunteers are spread over the months of
June, July and August.

The service areas of these Volunteers were
the Forestry Department, the Language Arts
Project, the Grenada operation of th
American Institute for Co-operation ..in
Agriculture, and environmentaspects of both
the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Agriculture.
Please See NEWS SORTS Page 12

The am seven Volunteers vho have com-
pleted one year of service in various areas,
and one Volunteer, vho has completed two
years of service, is staying on for a third
year to complete an assignment vith the the
National Parks Division of the Ministry of
Tourism

Thirteen ney Volunteers are expected to
arrive in August for tvo years of service.
Eight vill be assigned to the Language Arts
Project, three to a Public Library Project for
development of community libraries, and

isation Communications Consultant.

The Government Infonation Service (G S)
reports that the region is experencing an
increase in the population of the Dengue
mosquito and of Dengue Hemorhagic fever.

According to GIS, similar workshops are to
be held in all Member States- of the
Caribbean Co-operation In Healtli(CC H)as
part of the CCH /Gove nnentof Ily funded
integrated Vector Control Project.

tvo to the Forestry Department to vork in
environmental education and community.
forestry

Aimed at strengthening the participants
communication skills for the purpose of
getting the public nmre involved in con-
trolling the breeding of Dengue mosquitoes,
the workshop had, as a resource person, Mr
Anthony Deyal, American Health Organ-

Over eighty parsons took part in the fourth
and final Tourism Education and kills
Tmining Workshop held on May 1i&O

'HE GRENADA ECONOMY The Report states that Govemment's
experienced another difficult financial position remained weak as the
year, sliding into recession in economy slid into recession, and the go-slow
1992. at St.George" Is docks in the first quarter of
the year. lus the wage settlement and

This is the statermnt of the 1992 Report of
the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
which says the primary source of decline
vas the agricultural sector vhere
production of tvo major crops ..
fell.

"Nutmeg production of 2,235 -
tonnes vas 11.2% lover than
1991," CDB says. "Mace and
bananas vare down 33% and
10% respectively when compared
with 1991."

Cocoa production rose by 1 % but, the
problem with nutmegs and mace, CDB says,
is related to low advance payments which
resulted in farmes not collecting fruit on
time. AMarginal Increase
Inthe Tourism Industry, the hotel occupancy
rate mmained at. the 1991 level of 61% and
stopover visitors increased by 3% to 87,554.
Despite an increase of 7.5% in the number
of cruise ship calls, cruise ship passengers
fell by 2% to 195, 89, resulting in a nmrginal
(0.9%) increase in total visitor arrivals.
In the Manufacturing Sector, then vas a
fall-off in output of stout, flour and wheat
bran, while growth was experienced in
production of beer, cigarettes, malt and soft
drinks.

retrenchment costs relative to Government
eplo es, worsened the situation.
Tamable- Imp!rts Declined
vernment's recurrent revenue
S expanded by 1% mainly as a
result of changes in the rates
.I under the Debt Service Levy,
Z;DB says, but takes on inter-
S\natiomnl transactions fell as
S taxable imports declined.

The itutustry has Lost its capacity
to resuscitate itself
TI HE 992 ANNUAL REPORT the banana sub-sector to the island'
of .the Grenada Banana. Co- economy.
operative Society (GBCS) dis-
closes that the island's export The Report lists a number of adverse
of bananas that year declined by 9,5% to pressures on Grenida Banaina Industry
6,188 tons. These are, a continuous shift to smal-size
undercapitalized farm unit:, scarcity of lan
*The shortfall in exports in the as a consequence of competition
preceding period, 1990 to fwm preferred permanent tree
1991, vas of a similar L, crops, Moko disease and ab
order," the Report says, .sence of a vel articulate
"and reflected then the policy geared towards growth
lowest recorded output for arMd susainable production..
Grenada smce 1957"
t As a result, the Report says
In the five years commencing tle industry has "lost ii
1988, it says, exports fell by. capacity to esuscitate itse
31%. and, currently, fort- without substantial commii
nightly exports have shown a ment of capital and othE
weakening, onsome occasions, : fom- of assistance from th
to levels below 200 tons. ;tre."

Such low volumes raise serious Refering to the quality of fru
questions about the justification of produced in Grenada, the Report says thi
lifting fruit from Grenada, the Report says, can be described only as "dismal" and there
and abdut the viabity and contribution of Please See BAMB AS Pa 4

CDB From Page 1
iby CDB is that Government repealed the impact on future economic growth."
existing stamp duty and replaced it with an
annual stamp tax, but legal bottlenecks have The Report rfers to Government's sel
delayed collection of tMis tax. imposed structural adjustment piogramm
Implemenitation of tax reform, the mo.
The Report says Government.'s capital ex- critical area of the programme, it says, w
penditure of US $9.3 million was about 50% expected to begin in 1993 and continue OVw
less than that of a year ago and this could a two year period.
have undesirable consequences.
CDB forecasts a 1% growth in real inco
"The consistent.reductionin capital expend- in 1993, and output is expected to return t
itue in an effort to reduce the overall the 1991 level as agricultural prodiutio
deficit," CDB says, "could have an adverse Pleae Me CDB Page

ir Campbell's conrments were made as he
delivered the feature address at the third
annual "Cocoa Dinner" of the Grenada
Cocoa Association, and he said maintaining
stability of the East Caribbean (EC) dollar
has always been high on the Bank's agenda.

In 1976 the Bank's external assets stood at.
EC $153.4 million, he said, and the EC dollar
was then pegged to the United States dollar

CDB From Page 2
expands and. tourism tgrws at a faster rate
than in 1992.

According to CDB, to ensure sustainable
growth, Government should continue its
agricultural diversification dnve, placing
emphasis on early resolution of land
tenure problems, and should sustain
implementation of the structural adjust-
ment progmrmme, especially in the area
of fiscal reform.
Ii~ABg Ei8e

at the rate of EC$2.70 to US$1.00, a rate
vhich ihs remained unchanged ever since.

Over the last five years, he disclosed, ti
average rate of growth of the extemal assets
had been 11.6%, and, at ?lst March 1993,
they stood at the figure of EC $737.6 million,
providing a "cover ratio" of 100%.
Would Be In A Position
"This means that if it was required that the
EC dollar balances
ATION ard otes be ex-
changed for foreign
1ATION cunency" he said
3RENADA NEWS- "then ECCB would
:ed dunng July. The be in a position to
4Auus t. meet 100% of that
request"
The Director said maintaining stability of
the EC dollar depends on the balance of
payments of member counties of the Bank
because persistent balance of payment
deficits would lead to a drain on external
reserves.
Plase ee ECCB Page 4

ECCB Prom Page 3
For this reason, he said, the importance of
agricultural exports relative to the stability
of the EC dollar must be viewed in the
context of export earnings.

ECCB serves the area of Anguilla, Antigua,
Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts, St
Lucia and St Vircent, and Mr Camnpbell said
agricultural exports accomut for a significant.
portion of the ECCB area's total rnerchan-
dise exports; with bananas representing over
90% of these exports.
Must Be Remembersd

In corsiderirg the importance or agncuitur9
to the external reserves, he said, it must be
remembered that most, of th area's exports
are denominated in a foreign curerrcy ihich
floats against the US dollar and, by
extension, against the Cf
EC dollar. f CORRI

This means, he said,

1<
'A'

The "printer's devil" wv
of 29th May vhic

tiat hvat needs to be numbered "8" instead
considered is not
only the exdstence of a market for bananas
at a good price, but also the impact of foreign
exchange fluctuations on the t-tal receipts
from agricultural expos.

ld

Between 1987 and 1992 the Director said,
the aea's exports realised EC$4,774.5
million, of which bananas vere responsible
for EC $1,779 2 nrlion- A the sane time,
the ECCB fieign assts, plus the foreign
assets of the commercial banks in the mrea,

grev from EC $762.2 million to EC $1,041.2
million.

Because bananas have contributed so signif-
icantly to stability of the EC dollar, Mr
Campbell said, in the light of implications
of the European Single Market (ESM), the
future prospects of bananas must be
considered.
No Ouantataive Restrictions
Bananas are nov marketed under two
regimes in the ESM, he said, one being an
open rmrket, prncipally in Genrmany, hei
there are no quantataiv restrictions or duties.
This market accounts for 65% of the world
banana trade and, m 1990, Germany im-
ported 1.3 million tons of the fruit

CTION T nI othermaret, in
T1ION i which Windward
is at ork in the issue islands bananas ae
h was inconectly sold isapreferential
sf "9". We're sorry I market here there
--is a 20% common
etx eal tariff and fixed quanataive restric-
tions, Mr Campbell, said, this market
accounting for 1.7 million tons in 1990.

"The ESM envisages removal of these
markets and establishment of a single
banana market* the Drector said This
vould mean Winmdvard Island bananas
will lose their preferential status and be!
exposed to stiff competition from Latin
American bananas."
Plajas See ECBRPae 51

AMA NAS om Pame 2
is now a loSS of confidence that the trend
can be reversed.

This loss of quality, i says, is linked to the
fall in production as faniner now take the
chance to ptack sub-standarid or borderline
fruit in an effort to make up declining
earmngs resulting fimr sbhnm.ing output

Audited accounts of t Society sv, the
sale of some 18 8 mlhlon pounds of bananas
in 1992 produced a gross income of EC $7.7

million.

Total expenditure, inciting EC $3 5 million
disbursed to rovers, amounted to EC$9.3
million leaving a deficit on operations of
nearly EC$1.6 million.

The General Fund which, at the beginning
of the year stood at EC $ .1 million, was
reduced to EC $423.8 thousand at year's end.

_ -__-_DIP _am- SM c

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Saturday 19th June 1993

SThe Grenada Newsletter

ACCORDING TO THE 1992
Report of the Caribbean
Development Bank (CDB).
la A ^-J^ .^ -.^,.^^ _ -,

measures which should ensure, for some
time, continued peferential acc ess of region-
al bananas to the United Kingdom.

In contest, econormc recovery slowed in
Trinidad & Tobago where real GDP grew
by less than 1%, but, on the whole, CDB
says, preliminary estimates suggest the
economies of the Bahamas, Barbados and
Grenada had the worst outturn amongst the
BMC.

e of te m t ciil i s f e RY
1| IWILL FURTHER DA

Given the weak state of the public sector
ad, some css, an on-gon pr. am
oThe generally to impeak pefo ce, BMnce

has contributed teplo nta iepoyent
"In forcing thoe viec of unties pnertnt as
one of the most critical issues ftr the Region.

Given the veak state of tIe public sector

econ some cases on-goin programs, in
of reforms to imprmv;e verfinnance, BMCs
were unable, as in the past, to expand public
investment as a means of boosting economic
activity and employment.

At the same time, CDB says, in most BMC,
relative stability of regional exchange maes,
improvement in fiscal performance, reform
of the taxation system and moderation of
wage demands could provide much needed
incentives for private saving and investment
and production for export.

U-safWfW^"""m""mumuuuml

ECCB Fram Page 5
If it is thought unlikely the banana industry
vill disappear, he said, what should be
considered is the level of price induction
sustainable without causing imolerable
stress on the EC dollar.

A preliminary study suggests that a I%
change in the "green wholesale" price" of
bananas will result in a 0.5% chng in the
"cover ratio" of foreign exchange holdings
to notes and coins in circulation and other
demand liabilities, the Diector said.

The Bank nov has a 100% "cover ratio", he
said, which rrmeans that ECCB has a
"cushion" which will be used to reduce the
impact of a possible banana "shock" on the
EC dollar. __

To deal with the threat of the ESM, the
Director said, the Barana Industry Regu-
latory Authority (BIRA) is to be established
to i rulate conditions under which bananas
are grown.

BIRA vill, among other things, he said,
control land zoning, set standards for
efficient rmnagement of the industry and
ensure enriromnnntally safe prac+txes.

Emphasis must be placed on diversifying
the agricultural export industry, and ulti-
matel, the economy, Mr Campbell said, so
as to, reduce reliance on any particular
commodity as far as possible.
. w !r --' .-. ...

d

r.

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The Grenada Nevsletter Saturday 19th June 1993 Page 7

CDM PAEWS LX,

Tourism earnings are estimated to have risen
onLly slightly
F PREDICTIONS OF THE CDB reports that the regional picture for
CaribbeanDevelopmentBank (CDB) bauidte continued to be disappointing as
are correct, sugar producers in the there was a drcp in output in both Jamaica
CaribbeanCommunity (CARICOM) ard Guyana, the two CARICOM produces
may be in for a rcnu~- tire. of this connodity.

Accordirs t t the CDB 1992 Report, The Jamaican decline in bauxite
Interational Sugar Organisation The Baha ma pri Oduition is estimated at 1.7%
estimates place 1993 void production and that of Guyana at over 30%,
at 1_6 million tonnes more than worid making an estinuted total baunite po-
^&duction decline of 5%, to
Belize Jamaica A. *nuiAlbout 12.3 million tonnes.

consumption of 114.5 million tonnes, and
vith vorid stocks continuing to expand,
prospect are unfavorable for vodd pnice
improvement.

Production surpluses are projected up
to 1995 and, hence, prices are expected to
remain veak over the medium term, "
CDB says_ "This could have serious
implications for regional producers"

Another problem facing CARICOM sugar
producers is that, for the 1992193 period and
vith the exception of St Kitts, the Unied
iStates has reduced by 12% quotas of all
regonal producers.
Substantially Lover Prices
As a result, the US regional sugar quota is
down fro-m the 70,702 tonnes for the 19911
92 crop to 63,231 tones for 1992/93, and
an increased proportion of CAR IC OM sugar
ill have to be sold on the vorld market at
substantially lover prices.

Regional crude oil pro- G6Uia8
duction for 1992 declined to
an estimated 50 million barrels from 53
million barrels in 1991, the CDB Report
says.

"Depending on ability of the Orgaisation
Piae. hat PICtr E Pane 8

Pleam Sm P10" F Pam 8

The Grenada Newsletter Saturday 19th June 1993 Page 8

CCA is spearheading a three year proqrammwe of
pilot projects in 10 countries for establisherrwn
of a flarine Parks and Proteted Ares
Network.

R CALVIN HOWELL,
4 Executive Director of the
Caribbean Conservation
Association (C CA), said in
Grenada on June 9th that the future of the
Caribbean lies heavily on the responsibility
taken now to manage the marine resources.

Mr Hovell was in the island for the signing
of an Agreement covering a grant, through
CCA, of C $30,000 by the Canadian Inter-
national Development Agency (CIDA) for
development of three "maine parks".

One of these is located at a spectacular reef
area on Grenada's western coast, another is
the waters and mangwve areas surrounding
two small islands in the Grenadines north of
Grenada, and the third is the wreck of the
tourist liner "Bianca C" vhich caught fire
and sank in St George's outer harbour in
1961.
Three iear Programme
Mr Hovell said, with CIDA funding, CCA
is spearheading a three year programme of
pilot projects in 10 countries for establish-
ment of a Marine Parks and Protected Areas
Network.

of Petroleum Exporting Countries to
maintain its production ceiling of 24.4
million barrels per day in the first quarter of
1993," CDB says, "prices vill average
US$18.50 per banel, roughly about the same
as in 1992."

Refening to Tourism, the CDB .
Report says that, regionally,
available data suggests a
modest growth in 19922 oL -t2
less than 1% in stopover arrivals, but a
significant increase of about 14% in
cruiseship visitors.

The expansion of cruiseship visitors,
accounting for 53% of total arrivals in 1992,
demonstrates the way the Industy is

changing, CDB says. The Bank points
out. however, that tourism earnings are
estimated to have risen only slightly because
expenditure by cruiseship passengers tends
to be lover than that of stopover visitors.

SAnticipated United States economic
Recovery in 1993 should
"^ --have a favourable impact
:, / 'on stopover visitors, CDB
. '_ -r says, but this could be mod-
ifie dby the noticeable decline in the number
of international air carners serving the
Region.

ThiS does oes t inplyt confrontation of tfe scxes, with
an airm of women to comee before men"
RS JOAN PURCELL, sible for Women in Development
JMiniste fr for Women's'

Junep 15tkh tat her Ministry had : mE3ro look into the part played
launched a prograimne in pre- .
paration for the Fourth World by omen in tourism, agr-
-t culture, health, in other sectors
Conf&renca to be held in Chi na other ts
in 1995 to naz bthe end of the and, generally, their con-
4tribution to the economy of the
United Nations Second Decade toho.
on Women. country.
"Ts hm a p s The treme of the progmanne, the
I"This -as corre from a process orf
planning hich taken ple over Ministersaid is "Putting GenderOn
planning vhich has taken place ovcr
1% -s Aaenda"' but she stressed
the last six months", she swd, "and ed
"' this does not imply conf ont-
also from the recently held Carib- doesot i
bean C o Inity k A+TOM) action of the sexes, vith an aim
bean Community (CARICOM) MRS JOAN PURCELL
sixth meeting of Miiisters respon- Piease See PURCELL Page 10
PICTURE From Page 8
structure in i t face of icreas g financial! ing, the European Community Council of
problems. Agricultural Ministers agreed, in December
1992, to r-er~in conditions affording pro-
In the banana industry, regional production section to banana producers in the Afhican,
expanded to 381,000 tnnmes in 1992 from Pacific ard Caribbean (ACP) counties of
the 1991 figure of 321,000, the CDB Report the Lome Convention.
says.
syIsfa Those conditions come into effect
However, following the proposed creation from July 1st 1992 and, among other
of the European Single Market, the m" terms, involve an import duty and
possible loss of preferences in limiting quota on non-ACP bananas.
the United Kingdom rrarket eu 3
posed a serious threat to regional These proposals, CDB says, were elconed
banana producers, particularly in the by CAR ICOMI as a sound basis for amving
Windward Islands here banana -exports at a mutually satisfactory solution to the
account for as much as 60% of export critical issues facing the CARICOM banaa
earnings, industry.